| On this day Oct 4..... 1777 - A morning fog during the Battle of Germantown led to confusion that resulted in American soldiers firing upon their own men. 1869 - Saxby's Gale: A British military officer reportedly predicted this storm 12 months in advance. 12.35 inches of rain fell in Canton CT. Heavy rains and high winds plagued all of New England. 1969 - 9.6 inches of snow fell at Denver CO. It would be the coldest and snowiest October on record in the Mile High City with over 31 inches of snow during the month. 1986 - Heavy rains over the Midwest caused extensive flooding. Over twenty inches of rain fell in the week at Hale KS, with 18 inches at Coffeyville KS. In some places it was the worst flooding on record. 1986 - Many flooding deaths occur in automobiles. Just two feet of rushing water can move a vehicle. 16.21 inches of rain fell at McCamey, TX on this date. A car was swept from a bridge which was covered by the flooding water near Rankin, TX, killing the motorist. 1987 - Parts of New England dumped on by a record setting early season snow. Grafton NY recorded 22 inches of snow. 18 inches fell at Pownal VT. The 6 inches recorded at Albany NY was the earliest measurable snow in 117 years. Most of the snow fell at higher elevations. Trees still had most of their foliage, resulting in heavy tree damage. The storm caught many by surprise, especially the snowplows teams. 17 people died and 332 were injured. 1987 - 111 at San Luis Obispo CA made that location the nation's hot spot for the day. The 100 degree reading at San Francisco was an October record. 1988 - 3.57 inches of rain in one hour at Davie FL. 1995 - Hurricane Opal was a worst case scenario for weather forecasters. In the eighteen hours before its landfall just east of Pensacola FL, Opal went from a Category 2 Hurricane, to a strong Category 4 Hurricane, back to a Category 2 just before landfall. At 4:45 a.m. CDT, Air Force Reconnaissance reported an alarming central pressure of 916 mb and winds were estimated at a devastating 150 mph, making the storm the strongest of record in the Atlantic in October. The storm had rapidly intensified that morning, dropping from 951 to 916 mb in just 9 hours. At this time Opal was 250 nautical miles south-southwest of Pensacola, Florida. Fortunately, Opal could not maintain peak intensity as the inner eyewall collapsed within a few hours. The maximum sustained winds were 115 mph near the center of the storm. Mary Esther FL record sustained winds of 80 mph with a questionable wind gust to 144 mph. Although winds were diminishing at the time of landfall, extensive damage due to a storm surge of 15 feet and breaking waves occurred over most of the coastal areas of the Florida panhandle. The estimated U.S. death toll from direct causes is 9. Total damage was $3 billion. Researchers believe that Opal moved over a warm water eddy over the Gulf of Mexico which had broken off from the Gulf Stream. Water in the eddy was a degree or two warmer than in the surrounding area, allowing the storm to strengthen rapidly. 1998 - 24 tornadoes across Oklahoma established a record for the most tornadoes on any day ever in October in the U.S. Meteorologists at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman OK were able to view a tornado passing in the distance. |